12 PM…Hospital…
Rudra was sitting in his cabin, talking to someone on the phone while reading a small chit in his hand. The phone was on speaker.
Leaning back on his chair, Rudra said, "Bro… just make it happen! I’ll pay whatever you ask!!”
The man on the other end replied,
“Hey… try to understand, bro… it’s not about the money! Just transferring what you said from imagination to paper will take my craftsman two whole days! And the materials... You seriously want to put such expensive materials into a toy car?! Really! I mean… it’s just a toy car… and still?!”
Rudra replied seriously,
“Yes, absolutely! Don’t worry about the money. I’ll pay however much you say. But I want that car exactly how I described it! The body should be wooden, but the engine must be real! It should work just like a real car. The remote should be so beautiful that it steals your heart at first glance! Everything must be perfect! And I want it in exactly one week — no matter what! Hire more workers if you need to… but finish the job and give me the car in 7 days!”
The man laughed and said,
“Tell me one thing… back when it was time to play with toys, you buried yourself in books — and now this?! During school days, when all of us talked about cars, you sat alone reading and said, ‘Do something meaningful! These toys won’t build your life, and they certainly won’t fulfill your parents’ dreams.’ So what’s changed now?”
Rudra’s eyes turned blank, emotionless.
In front of his eyes, a memory appeared — 11-year-old Rudra being beaten with a strong neem stick by his father, shouting:
“How… how could you fall behind like this?! I want to see you at the top — not just top, but marks so incredible no one could imagine! I want to make you a director — you must be worthy of that! From today, all games are banned for you!”
Rudra shook his head, pulling himself out of the memory, and said, “Do one thing… make two cars! One wooden, and another racing car — made from the same material used in real cars!”
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The man, now irritated, replied, “Man!! I was struggling to agree to build one car in seven days — and now you want two?!”
Rudra smiled and said, “I need the wooden car in seven days… for the other one, you can take as much time as you need. But yes… deliver that second car within a month too!”
The man took a deep breath and said, “Alright, fine! I’ll hire extra workers and get the wooden car ready in a week. The other one will be done in 15 or 16 days! But I’m telling you — these cars will be very expensive!”
Rudra calmly replied, “If you want, I can transfer the full payment to your account right now. How much will it be? 2 million… 2.5 million… or 5 million? Just say the number.”
Startled, the man quickly said, “Whoa, whoa! Okay, stop! I know you’re a millionaire or billionaire! I trust you! Once the cars are ready, I’ll send the bill with them. I just need some cash right now — so make the payment in cash. Alright… I’ll hang up now!”
“Alright,” Rudra said, and cut the call.
He leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. A soft smile appeared on his face.
He whispered to himself, “Thank you, my friend… Aniket! Your birthday wish made me remember my childhood today. Maybe now… I finally have the chance to live the childhood I never got to live.”
Saying that, Rudra closed his eyes.
There was peace on his face — and it was real.
Not some performance, not a fake emotion… but real peace.
For the first time in a long time, he truly felt something he had buried deep inside — His childhood… and the innocent wishes that had been suffocated within.
As Rudra was reconnecting with his inner child, on the other side of the office, someone else was watching their love with eyes full of emotion.
Aditya had just wrapped up his meeting and entered Anamika’s cabin… only to be stunned by the purest scene in front of him.
Anamika was asleep on the couch in her cabin.
Her hair, blown by the breeze, gently danced over her face — but Anamika didn’t seem to mind.
Her lips were slightly parted, glowing faintly in the soft light — as if calling Aditya toward them.
Aditya’s eyes stopped right there.
He took off his shoes so they wouldn’t make a sound as he walked in.
Tiptoeing quietly, he came near the sofa and sat on his knees beside her, smiling as he gazed at her.
Maybe it felt like a dream…
And maybe it would’ve been the most beautiful dream of his life — if it were a dream.
But it was real.
Aditya slowly reached out to brush the hair away from her face — then hesitated and pulled his hand back.
He was afraid… afraid that if she woke up, this dream would be broken.
But somehow, without even listening to his mind, his hand gently reached her face.
He softly moved the strands of hair away.
And just like that, her gentle, loving face was clearly visible.
It was like clouds parting from the moon — the breeze carrying the clouds away — and the moon glowing once more, as the eyes watching it from afar drowned in its beauty.
Somehow, Aditya — the one who never lost control — was lost today.
He wanted to hold this dream in his hands… to kiss it…
But how?
And today, that question didn’t stop him.
Aditya slowly leaned in and kissed Anamika’s slightly parted lips.
It was exactly like brushing your lips over a delicate flower bud… and stepping away before it breaks.
Aditya smiled, gave her one last look… and began to leave.
But his heart — it was still racing fast.
What next…?
But the real question is...
Will Aditya be able to do all this when Anamika is awake?
When he’s looking into her eyes, and her lips are filled with questions?
Will his love still remain just as gentle, just as true… Or was it only the courage of a silent moment—one that can’t face waking eyes?
And Anamika…?
Will she be able to feel this unspoken emotion?
